2024 Atlanta Falcons season

The 2024 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their eighth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, their fourth under general manager Terry Fontenot and their first under head coach Raheem Morris. They improved on their 7–10 record from the previous three years, but failed to make the playoffs, extending a six-year absence and their seven-year NFC South title drought. Despite this, their highlights included a sweeping the eventual NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a Week 2 victory over the eventual Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles.

2024 Atlanta Falcons season
Owner	Arthur Blank
General manager	Terry Fontenot
Head coach	Raheem Morris
Home stadium	Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Results
Record	8–9
Division place	2nd NFC South
Playoffs	Did not qualify
All-Pros	RG Chris Lindstrom (2nd team)
Pro Bowlers	RB Bijan Robinson G Chris Lindstrom ST KhaDarel Hodge
Uniform
← 2023 Falcons seasons 2025 →

In a Week 5 Thursday night matchup against the Buccaneers, Kirk Cousins set a franchise record for most passing yards in a game, throwing for 509 yards, beating the record previously set by Matt Ryan in 2016.^[1] The Falcons' 6–3 start was also their best since 2016. They then went through a four-game losing streak plagued by turnovers and poor defensive play; the Falcons would subsequently bench Cousins after Week 15 for first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. Their Week 16 win over the New York Giants secured their eighth victory of the season, their most since 2017.

The Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention for a seventh consecutive season as regulation time was expiring in their Week 18 game against the Carolina Panthers, due to a Buccaneers win over the Saints. The Panthers subsequently defeated Atlanta in overtime, extending Atlanta's streak of losing seasons to seven years.

Draft

Main article: 2024 NFL draft

2024 Atlanta Falcons draft selections Round Selection Player Position College Notes 1 8 Michael Penix Jr. QB Washington 2 35 Ruke Orhorhoro DT Clemson From Cardinals[A] 43 Traded to the Arizona Cardinals[A] 3 74 Bralen Trice LB Washington 79 Traded to Arizona Cardinals[A] From Jaguars[B] 4 109 Brandon Dorlus DT Oregon 5 143 JD Bertrand LB Notre Dame 6 186 Jase McClellan RB Alabama From Vikings via Cardinals[A] 187 Casey Washington WR Illinois 197 Zion Logue DT Georgia From Browns[C] 7 230 Traded to the Cleveland Browns[C]

2024 Atlanta Falcons undrafted free agents Name Position College Ref. Ryan Coll OT Richmond [5] JaQuae Jackson WR Rutgers John Paddock QB Illinois Nolan Potter OT Northern Illinois Jayden Price CB North Dakota State Anthony Sao CB MidAmerica Nazarene Ryan Sanborn P Texas Austin Stogner TE Oklahoma Trey Vaval CB Minnesota State Isaiah Wooden WR Southern Utah OJ Hiliare WR Bowling Green [6]

Draft trades

1. The Falcons traded second- and third-round selections (43rd and 79th overall) to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for second- and sixth-round selections (35th and 186th overall).^[2]
2. The Falcons traded WR Calvin Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a third-round selection (79th overall) and a 2023 fifth-round selection (159th overall).^[3]
3. The Falcons traded a seventh-round selection (230th overall) and LB Deion Jones to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a sixth-round selection (197th overall).^[4]

Staff

2024 Atlanta Falcons staff

Front office Owner/chairman – Arthur Blank CEO – Rich McKay President – Greg Beadles General manager – Terry Fontenot Assistant general manager – Kyle Smith Vice president of football operations/player personnel – Ryan Pace Director of college scouting – Adetokunbo Abanikanda Assistant director of college scouting – Michael Ross Director of coaching operations – Brian Griffin Senior director of football administration – Chris Olsen Senior personnel executive – Ruston Webster Head coaches Head coach – Raheem Morris Assistant head coach/defense – Jerry Gray Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Zac Robinson Quarterbacks – T. J. Yates Running backs – Michael Pitre Wide receivers – Ike Hilliard Tight ends – Kevin Koger Run game coordinator/offensive line – Dwayne Ledford Assistant offensive line – Shawn Flaherty Assistant offensive line – Nick Jones Senior offensive assistant – Ken Zampese Offensive assistant – K.J. Black Offensive assistant – Patrick Kramer Offensive assistant/assistant quarterbacks – D. J. Williams Pass game specialist/game management – Tim Berbenich Pass game specialist – Chandler Whitmer

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Jimmy Lake Defensive line – Jay Rodgers Inside linebackers – Barrett Ruud Outside linebackers – Jacquies Smith Secondary – Justin Hood Senior defensive assistant – Dave Huxtable Defensive assistant – Lance Schulters Defensive assistant – John Timu Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Marquice Williams Assistant special teams – Steven King Strength and conditioning Director of Player Performance – John Griffin Assistant director of strength & conditioning – Paul Constantine Assistant director of strength & conditioning – Erik Jernstrom Assistant director of strength & conditioning – Josh Nelson

Final roster

2024 Atlanta Falcons roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 18 Kirk Cousins  9 Michael Penix Jr. Running backs (RB) 25 Tyler Allgeier  7 Bijan Robinson 28 Carlos Washington Jr. 26 Avery Williams Wide receivers (WR) 19 Chris Blair 12 KhaDarel Hodge  5 Drake London 34 Ray-Ray McCloud  1 Darnell Mooney 82 Casey Washington Tight ends (TE) 85 Ross Dwelley  8 Kyle Pitts 89 Charlie Woerner

Offensive linemen (OL) 65 Matthew Bergeron LG 67 Drew Dalman C 68 Kyle Hinton RG 63 Chris Lindstrom RG 70 Jake Matthews LT 76 Kaleb McGary RT 64 Ryan Neuzil C 77 Storm Norton RT 75 Brandon Parker LT 71 Elijah Wilkinson LG Defensive linemen (DL) 54 Brandon Dorlus DT 99 Eddie Goldman NT 96 Zach Harrison DE 97 Grady Jarrett DE 90 David Onyemata NT 98 Ruke Orhorhoro DT 93 Kentavius Street DE

Linebackers (LB) 40 JD Bertrand ILB  0 Lorenzo Carter OLB 17 Arnold Ebiketie OLB 55 Kaden Elliss ILB 91 Demone Harris OLB 15 Matthew Judon OLB 53 Nate Landman ILB 51 DeAngelo Malone OLB 42 Josh Woods ILB Defensive backs (DB) 20 Dee Alford CB  3 Jessie Bates FS 35 Natrone Brooks CB 27 Richie Grant SS 21 Mike Hughes CB 32 Kevin King CB 22 Clark Phillips III CB 31 Justin Simmons FS 24 A. J. Terrell CB Special teams (ST) 49 Liam McCullough LS 10 Riley Patterson K 13 Bradley Pinion P

Practice squad 72 Junior Aho DT (IPP) 73 Kyler Baugh DT 16 Phillip Dorsett WR 41 Elijah Dotson RB 81 Dylan Drummond WR 43 Rashaan Evans ILB 56 Jovaughn Gwyn C 38 Lamar Jackson CB 11 Emory Jones QB 92 Khalid Kareem OLB 94 LaCale London NT 86 Jesse Matthews WR  4 Nathan Peterman QB 88 Armani Rogers TE 45 Benny Sapp III S 74 Tyrone Wheatley Jr. RT Reserve 29 Micah Abernathy FS (IR) 44 Troy Andersen ILB (IR) 39 Robert Burns FB (PUP) 95 Ta'Quon Graham DE (IR) 33 Antonio Hamilton CB (IR) 36 Harrison Hand CB (IR) 23 DeMarcco Hellams FS (IR-DFR)  6 Younghoe Koo K (IR) 30 Jase McClellan RB (IR) 14 Rondale Moore WR (IR) 50 James Smith-Williams DE (IR) 48 Bralen Trice OLB (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 12 reserve, 15 practice squad (1 exempt)

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 9	at Miami Dolphins	L 13–20	0–1	Hard Rock Stadium	Recap
2	August 17	at Baltimore Ravens	L 12–13	0–2	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
3	August 23	Jacksonville Jaguars	L 0–31	0–3	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 8	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 10–18	0–1	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
2	September 16	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 22–21	1–1	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
3	September 22	Kansas City Chiefs	L 17–22	1–2	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
4	September 29	New Orleans Saints	W 26–24	2–2	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
5	October 3	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 36–30 (OT)	3–2	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
6	October 13	at Carolina Panthers	W 38–20	4–2	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
7	October 20	Seattle Seahawks	L 14–34	4–3	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
8	October 27	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 31–26	5–3	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
9	November 3	Dallas Cowboys	W 27–21	6–3	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
10	November 10	at New Orleans Saints	L 17–20	6–4	Caesars Superdome	Recap
11	November 17	at Denver Broncos	L 6–38	6–5	Empower Field at Mile High	Recap
12	Bye
13	December 1	Los Angeles Chargers	L 13–17	6–6	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
14	December 8	at Minnesota Vikings	L 21–42	6–7	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
15	December 16	at Las Vegas Raiders	W 15–9	7–7	Allegiant Stadium	Recap
16	December 22	New York Giants	W 34–7	8–7	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
17	December 29	at Washington Commanders	L 24–30 (OT)	8–8	Northwest Stadium	Recap
18	January 5	Carolina Panthers	L 38–44 (OT)	8–9	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 1: Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	3	6	6	3	18
Falcons	3	7	0	0	10

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 72,291
• Referee: Brad Rogers
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 24-yard field goal, 9:06. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:54. PIT – Chris Boswell 57-yard field goal, 4:37. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 31 yards, 4:29. Second quarter PIT – Chris Boswell 51-yard field goal, 12:54. Steelers 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 18 yards, 6:08. ATL – Kyle Pitts 12-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 0:32. Falcons 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 3:18. PIT – Chris Boswell 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 10–9. Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 0:32. Third quarter PIT – Chris Boswell 56-yard field goal, 7:45. Steelers 12–10. Drive: 9 plays, 24 yards, 2:44. PIT – Chris Boswell 40-yard field goal, 0:25. Steelers 15–10. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 3:24. Fourth quarter PIT – Chris Boswell 25-yard field goal, 0:28. Steelers 18–10. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 2:06. Top passers PIT – Justin Fields – 17/23, 156 yards ATL – Kirk Cousins – 16/26, 155 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers PIT – Najee Harris – 20 rushes, 70 yards ATL – Bijan Robinson – 18 rushes, 68 yards Top receivers PIT – George Pickens – 6 receptions, 85 yards ATL – Ray-Ray McCloud – 4 receptions, 52 yards

Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 2: Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	6	9	7	22
Eagles	0	7	3	11	21

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: September 16
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 69,879
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (WUPA, WPVI, ESPN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
  WSB-TV declined the option as the Falcons' local broadcast. WUPA won the bid from the NFL for Atlanta market rights.^[7]
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 39-yard field goal, 11:22. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:55. PHI – DeVonta Smith 7-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (Jake Elliott kick), 5:15. Eagles 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:07. ATL – Younghoe Koo 22-yard field goal, 0:06. Eagles 7–6. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 5:09. Third quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 34-yard field goal, 10:12. Falcons 9–7. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:48. PHI – Jake Elliott 29-yard field goal, 4:28. Eagles 10–9. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:44. ATL – Darnell Mooney 41-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (pass failed), 1:21. Falcons 15–10. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:07. Fourth quarter PHI – Jalen Hurts 1-yard run (Saquon Barkley run), 6:47. Eagles 18–15. Drive: 17 plays, 70 yards, 9:34. PHI – Jake Elliott 28-yard field goal, 1:39. Eagles 21–15. Drive: 11 plays, 29 yards, 3:59. ATL – Drake London 7-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 0:34. Falcons 22–21. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 1:05. Top passers ATL – Kirk Cousins – 20/29, 241 yards, 2 TD PHI – Jalen Hurts – 23/30, 183 yards, TD, INT Top rushers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 14 rushes, 97 yards PHI – Saquon Barkley – 22 rushes, 95 yards Top receivers ATL – Darnell Mooney – 3 receptions, 88 yards, TD PHI – DeVonta Smith – 7 receptions, 76 yards, TD

Despite being down 18–15 and not having the ball past the two minute warning, an incomplete pass by the Eagles on 3rd down gave the Falcons the ball back with over a minute and a half down by 6. Kirk Cousins drove down the field to give the Falcons a one-point lead on a late touchdown by Drake London. The Falcons defense then secured the upset when Jessie Bates III intercepted Jalen Hurts, allowing Atlanta to pick up its first win in Philadelphia since the 2012 season.^[8] This would be the Eagles only home loss of the season.

Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 3: Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	13	9	0	22
Falcons	7	7	0	3	17

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 22
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Clear, 89 °F (32 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 72,441
• Referee: Tra Blake
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Drake London 14-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 11:07. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:53. Second quarter KC – Rashee Rice 13-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 8:45. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:15. ATL – Bijan Robinson 1-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 6:37. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:08. KC – Harrison Butker 53-yard field goal, 2:43. Falcons 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:54. KC – Harrison Butker 44-yard field goal, 0:06. Falcons 14–13. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 0:26. Third quarter KC – Harrison Butker 21-yard field goal, 9:40. Chiefs 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:20. KC – JuJu Smith-Schuster 13-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (kick failed, hit right upright), 1:16. Chiefs 22–14. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:04. Fourth quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 54-yard field goal, 12:52. Chiefs 22–17. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 3:24. Top passers KC – Patrick Mahomes – 26/39, 217 yards, 2 TD, INT ATL – Kirk Cousins – 20/29, 230 yards, TD, INT Top rushers KC – Carson Steele – 17 rushes, 72 yards ATL – Tyler Allgeier – 7 rushes, 32 yards Top receivers KC – Rashee Rice – 12 receptions, 110 yards, TD ATL – Drake London – 6 receptions, 67 yards, TD

Week 4: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 4: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	7	3	7	24
Falcons	7	10	3	6	26

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 72,204
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivi
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – KhaDarel Hodge fumble recovery in the end zone (Younghoe Koo kick), 11:13. Falcons 7–0. NO – Taysom Hill 2-yard run (Blake Grupe kick), 6:39. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:34. Second quarter NO – Taysom Hill 5-yard run (Blake Grupe kick), 13:42. Saints 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 6:01. ATL – Younghoe Koo 53-yard field goal, 9:57. Saints 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 3:45. ATL – Troy Andersen 47-yard interception return (Younghoe Koo kick), 7:54. Falcons 17–14. Third quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 44-yard field goal, 6:46. Falcons 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 3:59. NO – Blake Grupe 43-yard field goal, 1:03. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 5:43. Fourth quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 42-yard field goal, 10:09. Falcons 23–17. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:54. NO – Alvin Kamara 1-yard run (Blake Grupe kick), 1:00. Saints 24–23. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 2:28. ATL – Younghoe Koo 58-yard field goal, 0:02. Falcons 26–24. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 0:58. Top passers NO – Derek Carr – 28/36, 239 yards, INT ATL – Kirk Cousins – 21/35, 238 yards, INT Top rushers NO – Alvin Kamara – 19 rushes, 77 yards, TD ATL – Tyler Allgeier – 8 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers NO – Chris Olave – 8 receptions, 87 yards ATL – Drake London – 6 receptions, 64 yards

Younghoe Koo went 4/4 on field goals including a 58-yard field goal, the longest in Mercedes-Benz Stadium history, in a 26–24 divisional win against the New Orleans Saints.

Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Buccaneers	10	14	3	3	0	30
Falcons	7	10	3	10	6	36

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: October 3
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 70,016
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (WAGA, WTVT, Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
  Game exclusive to WAGA and WTVT through syndication.^[7] Out of market on Prime Video.
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Drake London 18-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 11:54. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:06. TB – Mike Evans 2-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 7:36. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:18. TB – Chase McLaughlin 53-yard field goal, 1:22. Buccaneers 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:08. Second quarter ATL – Darnell Mooney 24-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 11:58. Falcons 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:24. TB – Mike Evans 23-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 10:17. Buccaneers 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:41. ATL – Younghoe Koo 54-yard field goal, 6:17. Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:00. TB – Sterling Shepard 4-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 1:56. Buccaneers 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 4:21. Third quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 48-yard field goal, 6:21. Buccaneers 24–20. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 5:49. TB – Chase McLaughlin 32-yard field goal, 1:17. Buccaneers 27–20. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:04. Fourth quarter ATL – Darnell Mooney 12-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 13:18. Tied 27–27. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 2:59. TB – Chase McLaughlin 53-yard field goal, 10:23. Buccaneers 30–27. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 2:55. ATL – Younghoe Koo 52-yard field goal, 0:02. Tied 30–30. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 1:14. Overtime ATL – KhaDarel Hodge 45-yard pass from Kirk Cousins, 8:45. Falcons 36–30. Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 1:15. Top passers TB – Baker Mayfield – 19/24, 180 yards, 3 TD ATL – Kirk Cousins – 42/58, 509 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers TB – Rachaad White – 10 rushes, 72 yards ATL – Bijan Robinson – 12 rushes, 61 yards Top receivers TB – Chris Godwin – 5 receptions, 64 yards ATL – Drake London – 12 receptions, 154 yards, TD

Week 6: at Carolina Panthers

Week 6: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	15	6	10	38
Panthers	7	10	3	0	20

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: October 13
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 79 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 70,884
• Referee: Clay Martin
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Mark Sanchez and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter CAR – Diontae Johnson 10-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 5:56. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 6:33. ATL – Bijan Robinson 5-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 0:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:18. Second quarter CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 24-yard field goal, 8:48. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 3:21. ATL – Bijan Robinson 7-yard run (Tyler Allgeier run), 6:03. Falcons 15–10. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 2:45. ATL – Drake London 3-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 1:42. Falcons 22–10. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:17. CAR – Xavier Legette 7-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Eddy Piñeiero kick), 0:07. Falcons 22–17. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 1:35. Third quarter' ATL – Younghoe Koo 21-yard field goal, 10:04. Falcons 25–17. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:56. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 40-yard field goal, 4:51. Falcons 25–20. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 5:13. ATL – Younghoe Koo 37-yard field goal, 0:07. Falcons 28–20. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:44. Fourth quarter ATL – Tyler Allgeier 2-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 5:38. Falcons 35–20. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:09. ATL – Younghoe Koo 35-yard field goal, 2:11. Falcons 38–20. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 1:58. Top passers ATL – Kirk Cousins – 19/30, 225 yards, TD CAR – Andy Dalton – 26/38, 221 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Tyler Allgeier – 18 rushes, 105 yards, TD CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 18 rushes, 92 yards Top receivers ATL – Drake London – 6 receptions, 74 yards, TD CAR – Diontae Johnson – 6 receptions, 78 yards, TD

Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 7: Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	3	14	7	10	34
Falcons	0	7	7	0	14

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: October 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 70,691
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivi
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter SEA – Jason Myers 38-yard field goal, 10:05. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:55. Second quarter SEA – Kenneth Walker III 20-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 9:52. Seahawks 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:51. ATL – Bijan Robinson 5-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 5:18. Seahawks 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:34. SEA – DK Metcalf 31-yard pass Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 0:04. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 1:03. Third quarter ATL – Drake London 5-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 7:43. Seahawks 17–14. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 7:17. SEA – Kenneth Walker III 17-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 3:18. Seahawks 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:25. Fourth quarter SEA – Derick Hall 64-yard fumble return (Jason Myers kick), 12:46. Seahawks 31–14. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:24. SEA – Jason Myers 59-yard field goal, 7:10. Seahawks 34–14. Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 3:45. Top passers SEA – Geno Smith – 18/28, 207 yards, 2 TD ATL – Kirk Cousins – 24/35, 232 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers SEA – Kenneth Walker III – 14 rushes, 69 yards, TD ATL – Bijan Robinson – 21 rushes, 103 yards, TD Top receivers SEA – DK Metcalf – 4 receptions, 99 yards, TD ATL – Kyle Pitts – 7 receptions, 65 yards

Week 8: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 8: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	17	7	0	31
Buccaneers	7	10	0	9	26

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: October 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 62,787
• Referee: Shawn Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Kyle Pitts 36-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 12:52. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 1:19. TB – Cade Otton 5-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 4:22. Tied 7–7. Drive: 15 plays, 70 yards, 8:30. Second quarter TB – Rachaad White 18-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 10:28. Buccaneers 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 97 yards, 7:09. ATL – Kyle Pitts 49-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 7:19. Tied 14–14. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:09. ATL – Darnell Mooney 30-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 2:09. Falcons 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:19. TB – Chase McLaughlin 52-yard field goal, 1:04. Falcons 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 1:05. ATL – Younghoe Koo 39-yard field goal, 0:01. Falcons 24–17. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 1:03. Third quarter ATL – Bijan Robinson 6-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 0:14. Falcons 31–17. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:51. Fourth quarter TB – Kirk Cousins fumble out of bounds in end zone for safety, 12:04. Falcons 31–19. TB – Cade Otton 4-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 6:52. Falcons 31–26. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:12. Top passers ATL – Kirk Cousins – 23/29, 276 yards, 4 TD TB – Baker Mayfield – 37/50, 330 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 13 rushes, 63 yards TB – Bucky Irving – 9 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 6 receptions, 37 yards, TD TB – Cade Otton – 9 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TD

Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 9: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	7	3	8	21
Falcons	7	7	7	6	27

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: November 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 72,665
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DAL – Brandon Aubrey 34-yard field goal, 9:32. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:32. ATL – Drake London 9-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 5:23. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 4:09. Second quarter ATL – Darnell Mooney 36-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 8:28. Falcons 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:50. DAL – Rico Dowdle 3-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brandon Aubrey kick), 4:01. Falcons 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:27. Third quarter ATL – Ray-Ray McCloud 11-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 10:23. Falcons 21–10. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 2:47. DAL – Brandon Aubrey 57-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 21–13. Drive: 9 plays, 22 yards, 4:11. Fourth quarter ATL – Tyler Allgeier 6-yard run (pass failed), 11:08. Falcons 27–13. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:52. DAL – Jalen Tolbert 4-yard pass from Cooper Rush (Cooper Rush–CeeDee Lamb pass), 1:28. Falcons 27–21. Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 3:28. Top passers DAL – Dak Prescott – 18/24, 133 yards, TD ATL – Kirk Cousins – 19/24, 222 yards, 3 TD Top rushers DAL – Rico Dowdle – 12 rushes, 75 yards ATL – Bijan Robinson – 19 rushes, 86 yards Top receivers DAL – Jake Ferguson – 7 receptions, 71 yards ATL – Darnell Mooney – 5 receptions, 88 yards, TD

Week 10: at New Orleans Saints

Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	7	10	0	17
Saints	0	17	3	0	20

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: November 10
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,005
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NO – Blake Grupe 38-yard field goal, 14:50. Saints 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 36 yards, 5:43. NO – Marquez Valdes-Scantling 40-yard pass from Derek Carr (Blake Grupe kick), 10:48. Saints 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:18. ATL – Bijan Robinson 1-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 5:45. Saints 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 5:03. NO – Marquez Valdes-Scantling 2-yard pass from Derek Carr (Blake Grupe kick), 3:47. Saints 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 1:58. Third quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 27-yard field goal, 5:42. Saints 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 7:58. NO – Blake Grupe 26-yard field goal, 2:44. Saints 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:58. ATL – Bijan Robinson 37-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 1:01. Saints 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:43. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers ATL – Kirk Cousins – 23/38, 306 yards, INT NO – Derek Carr – 16/25, 269 yards, 2 TD Top rushers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 20 rushes, 116 yards, 2 TD NO – Alvin Kamara – 17 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers ATL – Drake London – 8 receptions, 97 yards NO – Marquez Valdes-Scantling – 3 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TD

Week 11: at Denver Broncos

Week 11: Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	3	0	0	6
Broncos	7	14	7	10	38

at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 17
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: Sunny, 55 °F (13 °C)
• Game attendance: 76,545
• Referee: Alan Eck
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DEN – Nate Adkins 12-yard pass from Bo Nix (Wil Lutz kick), 10:31. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:29. ATL – Younghoe Koo 41-yard field goal, 1:33. Broncos 7–3. Drive: 13 plays, 48 yards, 8:58. Second quarter DEN – Javonte Williams 14-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 6:16. Broncos 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 6:07. ATL – Younghoe Koo 51-yard field goal, 2:48. Broncos 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:28. DEN – Marvin Mims 12-yard pass from Bo Nix (Wil Lutz kick), 0:25. Broncos 21–6. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 2:23. Third quarter DEN – Troy Franklin 7-yard pass from Bo Nix (Wil Lutz kick), 9:05. Broncos 28–6. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:33. Fourth quarter DEN – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 13:08. Broncos 31–6. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 4:37. DEN – Lil'Jordan Humphrey 41-yard pass from Bo Nix (Wil Lutz kick), 9:03. Broncos 38–6. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 2:12. Top passers ATL – Kirk Cousins – 18/27, 173 yards, INT DEN – Bo Nix – 28/33, 307 yards, 4 TD Top rushers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 12 rushes, 35 yards DEN – Javonte Williams – 9 rushes, 59 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Drake London – 3 receptions, 61 yards DEN – Courtland Sutton – 7 receptions, 78 yards

Week 13: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Week 13: Los Angeles Chargers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	6	8	0	17
Falcons	7	0	6	0	13

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 1 ^[9]
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 72,139
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Bijan Robinson 2-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 3:59. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 3:01. LAC – Cameron Dicker 45-yard field goal, 1:39. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:20. Second quarter LAC – Cameron Dicker 51-yard field goal, 11:08. Falcons 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 3:44. LAC – Cameron Dicker 34-yard field goal, 0:58. Chargers 9–7. Drive: 16 plays, 63 yards, 7:55. Third quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 41-yard field goal, 7:23. Falcons 10–9. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 5:58. LAC – Tarheeb Still 61-yard interception return (Justin Herbert–Joshua Palmer pass), 1:39. Chargers 17–10. ATL – Younghoe Koo 26-yard field goal, 0:03. Chargers 17–13. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 1:36. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers LAC – Justin Herbert – 16/23, 147 yards ATL – Kirk Cousins – 24/39, 245 yards, 4 INT Top rushers LAC – Gus Edwards – 6 rushes, 32 yards ATL – Bijan Robinson – 26 rushes, 102 yards, TD Top receivers LAC – Ladd McConkey – 9 receptions, 117 yards ATL – Ray-Ray McCloud – 4 receptions, 95 yards

Week 14: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 14: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	3	11	0	21
Vikings	7	7	7	21	42

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: December 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 67,008
• Referee: Alex Kemp
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Tyler Allgeier 6-yard run (Younghoe Koo kick), 8:58. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:02. MIN – Jordan Addison 49-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Will Reichard kick), 0:37. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 0:51. Second quarter MIN – Justin Jefferson 12-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Will Reichard kick), 2:01. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:16. ATL – Younghoe Koo 20-yard field goal, 0:10. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 1:51. Third quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 29-yard field goal, 5:06. Vikings 14–13. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 4:50. MIN – Justin Jefferson 52-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Will Reichard kick), 3:25. Vikings 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:41. ATL – Bijan Robinson 13-yard run (Bijan Robinson run), 0:39. Tied 21–21. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:46. Fourth quarter MIN – Jordan Addison 11-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Will Reichard kick), 12:59. Vikings 28–21. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:40. MIN – Jordan Addison 6-yard pass from Sam Darnold (Will Reichard kick), 8:23. Vikings 35–21. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 4:30. MIN – Aaron Jones 15-yard run (Will Reichard kick), 3:38. Vikings 42–21. Drive: 7 plays, 98 yards, 2:48. Top passers ATL – Kirk Cousins – 23/37, 344 yards, 2 INT MIN – Sam Darnold – 22/28, 347 yards, 5 TD Top rushers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 22 rushes, 92 yards, TD MIN – Aaron Jones – 13 rushes, 73 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Darnell Mooney – 6 receptions, 142 yards MIN – Jordan Addison – 8 receptions, 133 yards, 3 TD

In addition to suffering their fourth straight loss, the Falcons fell out of the NFC South lead for the first time since Week 4 after the Buccaneers defeated the Raiders the same day.

Week 15: at Las Vegas Raiders

Week 15: Atlanta Falcons at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	2	3	3	15
Raiders	0	3	0	6	9

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 62,364
• Referee: Shawn Smith
• TV announcers (WUPA, KVVU, ESPN): Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick, and Laura Rutledge
  Game exclusive to WUPA and KVVU. Out of market, game broadcast on ESPN, which is blacked out in Atlanta and Las Vegas because of syndication exclusivity policies.
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Drake London 30-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo kick), 0:14. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 3:30. Second quarter LV – Daniel Carlson 52-yard field goal, 11:44. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 3:30. ATL – Alexander Mattison loss of 1 yard for a safety, 5:35. Falcons 9–3. Third quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 40-yard field goal, 9:25. Falcons 12–3. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:48. Fourth quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 48-yard field goal, 13:26. Falcons 15–3. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 3:34. LV – Ameer Abdullah 5-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (kick blocked), 2:54. Falcons 15–9. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 2:33. Top passers ATL – Kirk Cousins – 11/17, 112 yards, TD, INT LV – Desmond Ridder – 23/39, 208 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 22 rushes, 125 yards LV – Desmond Ridder – 5 rushes, 28 yards Top receivers ATL – Drake London – 3 receptions, 53 yards, TD LV – Jakobi Meyers – 5 receptions, 59 yards

The next day, the Falcons benched Kirk Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Week 16: vs. New York Giants

Week 16: New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	7	0	0	7
Falcons	0	17	14	3	34

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 70,404
• Referee: Tra Blake
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter NYG – Tyrone Tracy Jr. 2-yard pass from Drew Lock (Graham Gano kick), 14:53. Giants 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 8:12. ATL – Riley Patterson 52-yard field goal, 10:36. Giants 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 4:17. ATL – Jessie Bates 55-yard interception return (Riley Patterson kick), 7:56. Falcons 10–7. ATL – Bijan Robinson 4-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 1:43. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 3:26. Third quarter ATL – Matthew Judon 27-yard interception return (Riley Patterson kick), 14:20. Falcons 24–7. ATL – Bijan Robinson 2-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 7:14. Falcons 31–7. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:17. Fourth quarter ATL – Riley Patterson 37-yard field goal, 10:47. Falcons 34–7. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 10:04. Top passers NYG – Drew Lock – 22/39, 210 yards, TD, 2 INT ATL – Michael Penix Jr. – 18/27, 202 yards, INT Top rushers NYG – Tyrone Tracy Jr. – 7 rushes, 26 yards ATL – Bijan Robinson – 22 rushes, 94 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NYG – Malik Nabers – 7 receptions, 68 yards ATL – Darnell Mooney – 5 receptions, 82 yards

With the win, the Falcons improved to 8–7 and, with the Buccaneers' loss later that day to the Cowboys, regained first place in the NFC South.

Week 17: at Washington Commanders

Week 17: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Falcons	7	10	0	7	0	24
Commanders	7	0	7	10	6	30

at Northwest Stadium, Landover, Maryland

• Date: December 29
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C)
• Game attendance: 63,480
• Referee: Alex Kemp
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter WAS – Olamide Zaccheaus 7-yard pass from Jayden Daniels (Zane Gonzalez kick), 9:33. Commanders 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:12. ATL – Bijan Robinson 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 5:10. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 4:23. Second quarter ATL – Bijan Robinson 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 4:24. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 6:13. ATL – Riley Patterson 39-yard field goal, 0:02. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 1:51. Third quarter WAS – Zach Ertz 10-yard pass from Jayden Daniels (Zane Gonzalez kick), 7:13. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 7:47. Fourth quarter WAS – Chris Rodriguez Jr. 2-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 13:03. Commanders 21–17. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 7:03. WAS – Zane Gonzalez 31-yard field goal, 4:32. Commanders 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 5:30. ATL – Kyle Pitts 13-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Riley Patterson kick), 1:19. Tied 24–24. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 3:13. Overtime WAS – Zach Ertz 2-yard pass from Jayden Daniels, 2:42. Commanders 30–24. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 3:13. Top passers ATL – Michael Penix Jr. – 19/35, 223 yards, TD, INT WAS – Jayden Daniels – 24/36, 227 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 17 rushes, 90 yards, 2 TD WAS – Jayden Daniels – 16 rushes, 127 yards Top receivers ATL – Drake London – 7 receptions, 106 yards WAS – Olamide Zaccheaus – 8 receptions, 85 yards, TD

With the loss, the Falcons fell to 8–8, and combined with the Buccaneers' win over the Panthers earlier in the day, caused Atlanta to fall behind once again in the NFC South race. In addition, the Falcons failed to sweep the NFC East following the loss.

Week 18: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 18: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Panthers	3	14	14	7	6	44
Falcons	3	21	0	14	0	38

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: January 5
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 69,581
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter ATL – Riley Patterson 31-yard field goal, 11:08. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 3:52. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 35-yard field goal, 7:03. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:05. Second quarter CAR – Bryce Young 2-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 10:47. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:16. ATL – Michael Penix Jr. 5-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 5:27. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:20. CAR – Miles Sanders 33-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 2:48. Panthers 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:39. ATL – Bijan Robinson 3-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 1:34. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 1:14. ATL – Drake London 20-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Riley Patterson kick), 0:03. Falcons 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 0:37. Third quarter CAR – Tommy Tremble 12-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 10:43. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:21. CAR – David Moore 9-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:02. Panthers 31–24. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:11. Fourth quarter ATL – Drake London 21-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Riley Patterson kick), 9:50. Tied 31–31. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 6:12. CAR – Bryce Young 10-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 4:01. Panthers 38–31. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:49. ATL – Bijan Robinson 4-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 0:46. Tied 38–38. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 3:15. Overtime CAR – Miles Sanders 1-yard run, 3:14. Panthers 44–38. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 6:46. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 25/34, 251 yards, 3 TD ATL – Michael Penix Jr. – 21/38, 312 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CAR – Miles Sanders – 17 rushes, 66 yards, TD ATL – Bijan Robinson – 28 rushes, 170 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CAR – Jalen Coker – 7 receptions, 62 yards ATL – Drake London – 10 receptions, 187 yards, 2 TD

Before the overtime period began, the Buccaneers defeated the Saints, clinching the NFC South and eliminating the Falcons from playoff contention for the seventh consecutive season. With the loss, they finished with an 8–9 record, also suffering their seventh consecutive losing season.

Standings

Division

NFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers	10	7	0	.588	4–2	8–4	502	385	W2
Atlanta Falcons	8	9	0	.471	4–2	7–5	389	423	L2
Carolina Panthers	5	12	0	.294	2–4	4–8	341	534	W1
New Orleans Saints	5	12	0	.294	2–4	4–8	338	398	L4

Conference

NFC v t e
Seed	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Detroit Lions	North	15	2	0	.882	6–0	11–1	.516	.494	W3
2	Philadelphia Eagles	East	14	3	0	.824	5–1	9–3	.453	.424	W2
3[a]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	10	7	0	.588	4–2	8–4	.502	.465	W2
4[a][b]	Los Angeles Rams	West	10	7	0	.588	4–2	6–6	.505	.441	L1
Wild cards
5	Minnesota Vikings	North	14	3	0	.824	4–2	9–3	.474	.408	L1
6	Washington Commanders	East	12	5	0	.706	4–2	9–3	.436	.358	W5
7	Green Bay Packers	North	11	6	0	.647	1–5	6–6	.533	.412	L2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[b]	Seattle Seahawks	West	10	7	0	.588	4–2	6–6	.498	.424	W2
9[c]	Atlanta Falcons	South	8	9	0	.471	4–2	7–5	.519	.426	L2
10[c]	Arizona Cardinals	West	8	9	0	.471	3–3	4–8	.536	.404	W1
11	Dallas Cowboys	East	7	10	0	.412	3–3	5–7	.522	.387	L2
12	San Francisco 49ers	West	6	11	0	.353	1–5	4–8	.564	.402	L4
13[d]	Chicago Bears	North	5	12	0	.294	1–5	3–9	.554	.388	W1
14[d][e]	Carolina Panthers	South	5	12	0	.294	2–4	4–8	.498	.329	W1
15[e]	New Orleans Saints	South	5	12	0	.294	2–4	4–8	.505	.306	L4
16	New York Giants	East	3	14	0	.176	0–6	1–11	.554	.412	L1

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Kirk Cousins	3,508
Passing touchdowns	Kirk Cousins	18
Rushing yards	Bijan Robinson	1,456
Rushing touchdowns	Bijan Robinson	14
Receptions	Drake London	100
Receiving yards	Drake London	1,271
Receiving touchdowns	Drake London	9
Points	Younghoe Koo	101
Kickoff return yards	Avery Williams	408
Punt return yards	Avery Williams	185
Tackles	Kaden Elliss	149
Sacks	Arnold Ebiketie	6.0
Forced fumbles	Jessie Bates	4
Interceptions	Jessie Bates	4
Pass deflections	Dee Alford	11

Notes

1. Tampa Bay clinched the #3 seed over Los Angeles based conference record. (Tampa Bay 8–4 to Los Angeles 6–6)
2. Los Angeles clinched the NFC West & #4 seed over Seattle based on strength of victory. (Los Angeles .441 to Seattle .424)
3. Atlanta finished ahead of Arizona based on conference record. (Atlanta 7–5 to Arizona 4–8)
4. Chicago finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory.
5. Carolina finished ahead New Orleans based on strength of victory. (Carolina .329 to New Orleans .306)